image: RNA world vs. modern world. Present-day organisms follow the central dogma: DNA (or RNA) encode genetic information, whereas cellular functions are carried out by proteins. In an RNA world, RNA would have been responsible for both heredity and metabolic function. This image relates to an article that appeared in the April 8, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by A. Wochner of Medical Research Council (MRC) in Cambridge, UK, and colleagues was titled, "Ribozyme-Catalyzed Transcription of an Active Ribozyme." view more
Credit: Image © Medical Research Council, 2011